10 Genius Ways to Store Christmas Decorations

Stay organized this year with these tips on how to store your decorations.

1. Invest in clear bins

When putting away your decorations, it’s helpful to have a dedicated space to put everything away. Maybe at the end of every holiday, you throw your decorations into an old cardboard box, or perhaps this is your first year owning your decorations. Whatever the case, invest in a clear bin or two to store all of your holiday decors. You’ll be able to see what’s inside and have a proper place to store everything for years to come.

2. Shrink wrap your tree

It might sound crazy, but wrapping your fake tree in plastic wrap is a great way to save space and protect it from getting dirty or damaged. You’ll need a buddy to help you wrap it tightly, but the results are well worth the effort!

3. Tangle-free lights

Use a rectangular piece of cardboard that’s about 10 inches wide to store Christmas lights. Wrap the lights around the cardboard and tuck the end around a strand to keep it secure. This is an easy and tangle-free way to store your lights, so you don’t end up with a mess next year!

4. Use clothes hangers

One of the most tedious things to store is Christmas wreaths. They’re beautiful when they’re puffed out and hung on your front door, but storing them can be challenging. An easy hack is to poke the hook of a clothes hanger through the top of a clear garbage bag, putting the wreath inside and tying it at the bottom. This allows you to hang it in a closet, or on a hook in your storage space.

5. Egg carton ornament storage

After you’ve served up a killer Christmas morning breakfast, you’ll likely have an egg carton or two lying around. Instead of tossing them in the recycling bin, use them to store securely store fragile ornaments. The containers are easy to store afterwards, and they will successfully keep all of your special trinkets safe for next year.

6. Use paper filters

If you have glittery tree ornaments, or are looking for a way to keep glass ornaments from knocking into each other, use coffee filters or paper muffin tins. They’re great to keep things organized and prevents them from breaking, or getting scratched.

7. Purchase a tree bag

Trying to fit your faux tree back into its original box can be challenging, and storing it in a garbage bag isn’t very reliable. Investing in an actual tree storage bag will help keep all of the parts in one place and will ensure that the tree doesn’t get damaged.

8. Use old socks

Do you have a holy sock? Store fragile items like candles and votives inside so they don’t get scratched or misinformed. It will also help them from transferring colour (or glitter) on other decor and candles.

9. Label boxes and bins

It happens every year. After Halloween passes, your neighbours start putting up their holiday lights before the cold weather hits. Sure you’d like to get on board, but you’re unable to find any of your lights without digging through every box. Using labels will help to solve that. You can stay simple and write “Outdoor Decorations”, or go more in-depth by keeping a point-form inventory.

10. Clean linens before storing

Since stains oxidize over time, it’s important to wash all tablecloths and runners before storing them away for next year. Make sure you fold them neatly as they may also get creased or fold weird if thrown carelessly into a box.

And so — with another holiday season over, and decorations now neatly tucked away, you’ll appreciate your extra effort next year when it’s time to decorate once again.